Originally a nonresilient collapsible squeeze tube, U.S. Pat. No. 2,252 to Rand (1841), “permanently collapsed” under pressure, to reduce container volume to match remaining product volume or as Rand said “ . . . the remaining capacity being at all times full, . . . ”, keeping the product close to the discharge outlet and preventing or reducing suckback, excluding the atmosphere during use, to prevent drying, oxidation or contamination of the product over its life time and possibly eliminating or reducing a requirement for preservatives. This collapsing volume also maintains the portion of product discharged from the tube relative to pressure applied almost constant from a full to nearly empty.
Rands patent taught proper use of his tube, that had less than perfect nonresilient characteristics, by instructing users to squeeze from the bottom “end d.” . . . “and when collapsed the end d may be rolled up”. His roll up, mechanically augmented the nonresilience to maintain the fullness of the tube.
Increased use of resilient plastics in fabrication of collapsible squeeze tubes, since 1953, has made this problem of not remaining “permanently collapsed”, even more pronounced. Besides having an adverse effect on some products, the air that gets sucked back into resilient tubes creates space for the product to settle, perhaps, away from the discharge outlet, requiring addition squeezing to bring the tube to a full condition, i.e. expel the air, and then dispense the product. To get around this extra squeezing, users shake the product down to the outlet or store the resilient container outlet down. Having product ready at the discharge outlet can be another problem for resilient containers which are also subject to over pressure, caused by change in air pressure or too firm a grip, which may cause leaking, afterflow or squirting on opening.
Prior art solutions have been variations of Rands “rolled up” approach, either attachable rigid or elastic mechanical devices that just hold it after hand rolling, like U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,968 to Nelson (1994), see FIG. 11, U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,839 to Miller (1995), see FIG. 12, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,897 to Williams (1995), see FIG. 13, U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,675 to Gaetke (2002) see FIG. 14, U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,087 to Robinson (2004), see FIG. 15, or that act on the walls to “roll up” the container and then hold it. Most tube users do not need assistance with collapsing and folding or rolling, just holding it in a collapsed state while not being used.
All prior art devices, rigid or not, are designed to work only with certain size tubes and will not work with most of the industry estimated 32+ billion tubes sold in 2005 world wide into eleven markets: Art; Automotive; Construction; Cosmetic; Dentifrice; Food; Household; Industrial; Medical; Pharmaceutical and Skin Care. They may not be resized for use on out of range smaller circumference tubes or combined for use on out of range larger circumference tubes.
Absent from the art is an attachable squeeze tube holder, unencumbered by awkward rigid or fatigable elastic components of fixed size, which is simple, adjustable, highly useful, easily transportable, economical and convenient to make, use and reuse, that can keep a tube “permanently collapsed” between uses.